Jordan Leads B.C. Open; Woods Three Back

With all the attention on Tiger Woods, Pete Jordan birdied five consecutive holes Friday to take the second-round lead in the B.C. Open at Endicott, N.Y.

With only a smattering of fans watching, Jordan shot a seven-under-par 64 for a three-stroke advantage over Woods, Fred Funk and Brian Claar.

“I’ve been struggling lately,” said Jordan, who had an 11-under 131 total. “I’m just trying to play solid and not do anything crazy.”

Woods, the three-time U.S. Amateur golf champion making his fourth professional start, birdied the final three holes for a 66.

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Beating Laura Davies isn’t always such a good idea, which the U.S. women’s team learned in escaping with a 5-3 lead over Europe after the opening day of the Solheim Cup at Chepstow, Wales.

Davies and partner Alison Nicholas lost their morning foursomes match to Americans Patty Sheehan and Rosie Jones. And they weren’t alone as Europe managed only half a point of a possible four.

In the afternoon, Davies, teaming with Trish Johnson in the first match, had seven birdies in the first 13 holes to defeat Kelly Robbins and Pat Bradley, 6 and 5.

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After struggling on the Senior PGA Tour for the last several months, Simon Hobday, last year’s Brickyard Crossing winner, took the first-round lead at Indianapolis with a seven-under 65, one better than Bob Betley and Tom Wargo.

Boxing

World Boxing Council welterweight champion Pernell Whitaker recovered from a fifth-round knockdown to win his rematch against Wilfredo Rivera with a unanimous decision at Miami.

Whitaker landed a knockdown punch of his own in the sixth round en route to his second victory over Rivera in six months. The 32-year-old Virginian improved to 39-1-1. Rivera, 27, fell to 23-2-1.

Also on the card, Samoan heavyweight David Tua knocked out previously unbeaten Darroll Wilson in the first round; and Cuban defectors Ramon Garbey and Joel Casamayor made impressive professional debuts, scoring knockouts in scheduled four-round bouts.

Tennis

Stefan Edberg put Sweden within reach of another Davis Cup when he defeated Daniel Vacek of the Czech Republic.

Edberg put Sweden ahead, 2-0, with a 7-6 (7-2), 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 victory in Prague. A victory in doubles today will put Sweden into its ninth final in 14 years.

At the other semifinal, Italy pulled ahead of host country France, 2-0.

Arantxa Sanchez Vicario defeated Wang Shi-ting of Taiwan, 4-6, 6-1, 6-1, to advance to the semifinals of the Nichirei tournament at Tokyo.

Sanchez Vicario will play Kimberly Po, who defeated Mary Pierce of France, 7-5, 6-4. Monica Seles will face Kimiko Date of Japan in the other semifinal.

Miscellany

Pokey Allen, on leave from his job as Boise State football coach, says test results show his cancer lesions have grown and his condition has deteriorated.

“The doctors seem to think I am in trouble,” Allen said. “And I’m starting to think that I probably am.”

Houston Rocket Coach Rudy Tomjanovich was hospitalized Friday night after experiencing severe intestinal pain during his annual charity golf tournament at Galveston, Texas.

Linebacker Nathaniel Webster, Miami’s top recruit, won’t play this season after a problem with his college entrance exam prevented him from enrolling.

The University of Louisville’s president and its basketball coach, Denny Crum, will be among those appearing today before an NCAA “jury” looking into 10 allegations against the school.

It probably will be mid-October before President John Shumaker and Crum learn what punishment, if any, the NCAA will hand out.

Bobby Hamilton took the pole position for Sunday’s Hanes 500 at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Va., at 94.120 mph.

The California Horse Racing Board gave final approval to a 1997 racing calendar that challenges various racing associations and fairs to cut back on the number of races they will run next year while allowing them greater flexibility.

The 1997 thoroughbred calendar: Santa Anita, Dec. 26, 1996-April 21, 1997; Hollywood Park, April 25-July 21; Del Mar, July 23-Sept. 10; Santa Anita/Oak Tree, Oct. 1-Nov. 2; and Hollywood Park, Nov. 5-Dec. 22.

Jockey David Flores won the $50,000 California Thoroughbred Breeders’ Assn. Marian Stakes on Tanks Forthemusic to set a Fairplex Park record with his 249th victory, breaking Francisco Mena’s mark.